Roasting in August: An Exceptional Cup
Meet the beans our Coffee Quality Specialist calls “exceptional,” Ethiopia Refisa Station (those are quote quotes, not air quotes … in case you were wondering). This month’s featured coffee for our Small Batch coffee subscription is a special one. Fruity, floral, elegant, and only available for a short time, you’re going to want to scoop up a pound or two (or three).
TAKE NOTE
This single origin walks that hard-to-find line between refinement and boldness. It’s silky and velvety on the palate, with perfumed tasting notes that recall a quality pot of malty black tea. And yet, it’s bursting with citrusy aromas like bergamot and grapefruit peel. It’s also sweetly floral like orange blossom honey. And it's roasted dark (no surprise for long-time Peetniks) for a touch of smoky, spicy cocoa.
TRUST THE PROCESS
These complex tasting notes come courtesy of the washed processing method—the beans are hand sorted, fermented for 48–72 hours, washed, soaked, and dried on raised beds for 8–10 days. All of this action happens at the Refisa Washing Station, due south of Addis Ababa in washed coffee country. The washing station, which sources beans from hundreds of farmers, is relatively new but has already made a name for itself.
IT EARNED ITS REP
In 2020, coffees from Refisa Station surprised aficionados by claiming more than a third (you read that right) of all the Cup of Excellence awards—and it was the first time these coffees entered the annual tasting competition. If you’re thinking ‘wow!’ you’d be right. The Cup of Excellence has been an acclaimed international competition for over 25 years, where rigorous, blind cuppings determine the winners, which are recognized for their exceptional flavor profiles. But it’s not just recognition that’s great: the winning coffees are auctioned off at a premium, so there are financial perks for farmers, and it incentivizes quality coffee production (good news for all coffee lovers!).
HOW DID THIS NEW COFFEE COME TO BE?
Surprisingly, the owner and exporter, Negusse Debela, wasn’t always a coffee connoisseur. He happened upon a superb pour-over at a little café in Minnesota (nowhere near his home country of Ethiopia!) which opened his eyes to the potential of coffee. He traveled back to his birthplace and set to work, changing his career course and embarking on an incredible coffee journey. And we’re so glad he did.
IT'S LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO BE
Humanity and coffee share a birthplace in East Africa, coming together nearly a thousand years ago, high in the forests of the Ethiopian plateau. East African coffees like this one grow at high elevation in dry, relatively cool climates. The elevation and cooler conditions allow the coffee cherry to ripen more slowly, and this slow maturation makes for denser beans, higher acidity, and more complex flavors. In general, these coffees are prized for their bright, sparkling acidity, floral characteristics, and berry fruit notes—and this month’s limited release is a shining example, capturing all the best of these qualities.
NOTES FROM THE PEET'S ROASTERY
When the beans arrived, we noted that they were petite and very clean looking: there were a few with a dark bluish tinge and loads of light green and very pale beans. The smell was grassy dry and sweet, and we noted zero visible defects—a sign of good quality, and of the washed processing.
When the beans hit the heat, the roast moved rapidly but was manageable, and it visibly slowed when heat was reduced. First crack was sharp and high pitched. At second crack, pops were audible briefly as we approached darker roast levels, and the coffee finished to the desired color very consistently. While roasting, the aromatics had hints of tea with dried fruit present in the background. It smelled great.
After roasting, we dove right into a blind, randomized cupping with 6 tasters. We tasted four batches, and once we landed on the winner, we all noted that it would be a lovely summer cup. Notes of tangerine citrus, oolong tea, and cocoa powder hit our palates, with wafts of floral and stone fruit aromatics. It was bright and delicious with a creamy mouthfeel. Great as a flash brew (or any kind of brew, really). We’re excited to keep drinking it.
- John Nicolini and Michael Madden, Roasters; Jamie Smith, R&D
LIMITED RELEASE PEET’S COFFEES
You might think that a monthly coffee subscription sounds amazing in and of itself, but Peet’s Small Batch coffee-of-the-month takes it a step further. These are microlot coffees, which is why you can only find them at peets.com and you can only access them if you have a subscription. They’re special—their rarity means they can sell out—fast. Subscribing ensures you get to taste each one of these remarkable lots. And if you’re a tried-and-true fan and subscribe to of one of our other coffees or subscription series, not to worry: you can do an add-on of this limited release to your next shipment. At least, while it lasts.